Protesters marched towards Eidgah in Srinagar today

India

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Published: Friday, August 22, 2008, 20:30 [IST]

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Jammu/ Srinagar, August 22 : A large number of protestors marched to Eidgah, in Srinagar in Kashmir on Friday, reviving demonstrations over the Amarnath land row spearheaded by the separatist organisations.

People walked and many rode motorcycles and jeeps to a sprawling ground in Srinagar to attend an independence rally to be addressed by separatist leaders.

Policemen and soldiers dressed in battle gear patrolled the streets as marchers arrived from nearby towns and villages.

Protests were halted for three days, until Friday, to allow the residents to stock up on rations.

Eidgah is a sprawling ground for mass Eid prayers in Srinagar adjacent to a "Martyrs Graveyard", a cemetery where militants and civilians are among the buried.

In Jammu the situation remained tense as the protestors, upset by the revocation of the land, blocked roads and prevented vehicular movement in the city.

Police resorted to tear gas to control the mob.

There was no day curfew in the city.

On Wednesday, the Amarnath Sangarsh Samiti announced a series of agitational programmes, including the launch of a civil disobedience movement against the administration, till all its demands were met. The Samiti has called for a complete shutdown on August 25. Police has arrested 18 people in connection with large-scale protests over the land imbroglio.

The Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service, temporarily suspended last week following the violence, has resumed with 61 passengers leaving for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.